Transversely expansible umbrella stick



May 111, 1954 J. J. KESTEN TRANSVERSELY EXPANSIBLE UMBRELLA STICK Filed Jan. 1'?, 1951 INVENTOR. Jlacf J'. KES TEN ATTORNEYS Patented May 11,A 1954 TRANSVERSELY EXPAN STIC SIBLE UMBRELLA K Jack J. Kosten; New York, N. Y.

Application-January 17, 1951, Serial No. 206,397

(Cl. 13E-20) 3 Claims. l

This invention relates to umbrella construction and;` more. particularly, to a transversely expansibl'e stick or standard for an. umbrella.

1t. is: an objectof the instant inventionfto providefanumbrella stick that will permitcentering the: protective covering. over the body without substantially increasing the `weight as compared with the common types of umbrellas;

A furtherl object is: to` provide a stick ofA such design: that the. stick itself will yield before damagetoother partsof the structure occurs.

Other. objects of the instant invention will become apparent in the course of` the following speciiication.

Inthe attainment of` these objectives, the stick is constituted of an upper segment, an intermediate transversely expansible linkage system, and a` lower segment slidable in a handle member. Both the segments and thel links of the linkage system when collapsed are so designed that the collar willi slidel over all the members when theV umbrella is being closed and opened. Inthe-open position,- the links ofthe linkage systemexpand toprcvide a frame through which the head of a personA passes when the cover is centered` over the body. Simple and effectivefmeans are providedy for locking the membersv of thestick together either in the open or the closed position ofthe umbrella.

The invention will* appear more clearlyvk from the following detailed description when taken'in-conjunction'with the accompanying drawings showing by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the inventive concept.

' In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front View of the umbrella stick constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention withia portion of the umbrella covering broken away to morel clearlyshow the construction;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along 2-e-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View of the stick taken in the `direction of 3-3 of Figure 1, but on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a fragmentaryV elevational view of the upper part of the-stick" shownin Figure` 1, but in the partially lowered position `of'theumbrella and on an enlarged `sca-le;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along 5-5 ofFigure 4;

Figure 6 is aside view of the stick shown in Figure 4 and Figure 7 is similar to `Figure 4 but in the-raised position of the umbrellaA and in' the` expanded position of some members# of the'l-i'nkagesystenr.

Referring now in` greater detail to the drawings where like reference numerals indicate like parts reference numeral I 0 indicates the stick or standard, and I I the known rib supporting collar slidable on the stick.

The stick ii) is constituted of a top segment I2, an intermediate transversely expansible linkage system I3 (Fig. 1), and a bottom segment I4.

The top segment I2 is formed from any suitably rigid material and is of circular cross section. Since the collar 1I is, intended to slide along the segment, the latter has a diameter less than the inside diameter of the collar. One end of the segment supports the ribs and covering in a known manner While the opposite or iree end is slotted to any desired depth and width. A tongue I5l isV inserted in the slot and held in place by the rivets I 6' and Il. The sides of the tongue are made flush with the rounded periphery of the segment and the free end or" the tongue, not shown, is rounded.

Coactng with the top segment is the trans,- versely expansiblel'inkage system I3 of two members.. Each member of the system is constituted ofthe upper legs i3 and I9 (Fig. l) and the lower legs 2li and 2.I. Both` upper legs may be of' equal length and both lower legs may be of equal length and'` greater than the length of the upper legs as illustrated. Each leg is of half-round or semicircular cross section having a flat base surface portionsubtending asurface of semicircular cross section on a radius equal to that of the aforementioned top` segment. In addition, the ilat surface portion of each end of each leg is recessed as most Yclearly shown in Figures 3 and 6, the inner edge of the recess being perpendicular to the plane of the recess and at any desired angle toithe. center line of the leg as later shown. The depth of each recess is made substantially equal to one-half the thickness of the previously men-- tioned tongue I5. However, it is not necessary thatall of the recesses be of the same depth as long as the outer surfaces of the various components of the stick are maintained or can be made flushV to provide a continuous guideway over the segments and linkage system for the slidable-passage of the collar.

At thetop, the recesses of the upper legs are pvotally attached on opposite sides of the tongue I5 byv the'pivot pin 25, the outer end extremities of the recess being rounded to permit rotation around the rounded end of the tongue.

The'opposite end of each upper leg I8 and I9 is' pivotallyH attached to the end of the lower leg ZUHandZI, respectively, by a plate 22 (Fig. 3), the

` plates-` having a height or thickness relatively equal to the depth of the recesses. One end `of the opening designed for fitting over the head of the person carrying the umbrella and shown by the dot-dash lines in Figure l.

At theV bottom, the recesses in the lower legs are attached on opposite sides of a'protrusion or tongue (not shown) in the free end of the following described bottom segment ld.

The bottom segment i4 is identical with the previously described top segment and is slidably inserted in a longitudinal bore formed through limits the spread of the lower legs in the raised position of the umbrella while the slidable insertion of the segment permits locking the legs in the closed position. Any suitable means (not shown) may be used to retain the bottom segment I4 locked in any desired position of the bore of the handle member.

In operation:

By virtue of the construction fof the stick, the collar il will slide over the entire length thereof when the leg members of the linkage system are collapsed. In the closed position of the umbrella, the collar may be fastened adjacent the handle member in the usual manner. In the raised position of the umbrella, after the collar I l has been moved beyond the pivoted end of the tongue i5 and with the bottom segment adjacent the opening in the handle member, the

upper and lower half-round legs can be pulled outwardly to the dot-dash positions shown in Figure l. The legs are prevented from moving transversely in the opposite direction by rounding only the inner end extremities of the legs and plate, that is on the side opposite the direction of rotation at the pivotal connecting points of the upper and lower legs. By providing the shoulder on the inner end of the recess of each leg, each upper leg will receive a substantial amount of support from each lower leg in the opened position of the covering. Further maintaining the legs rigid in the opened position are the two notches 2Q and 33 (Fig. 4) formed along the bottom of the outer edges of the rounded end extremities of the upper legs and coacting with the collar il which when free in the raised position of the umbrella will slide toward the legs andY be held in the notches. The angle formed by the lower legs 2B and 2l with the handle member can be varied merely by varying k and 30 to permit the ready collapse of the legs of the linkage system and quick movement of the covering to the closed position.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact disclosure herein described but may lend itself to a variety of expressions within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A stick for the slidable collar of an umbrella, the stick comprising a top segment and a bottom segment, the top segment being of circular cross section with a diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of the collar, a transversely expansible linkage system intermediate the top and bottom segments, the linkage sys- Vtem comprising two upper legs of equal length and two lower legs of equal length, each leg having a flat bottom surface subtending a surface of semi-circular cross section on a radius substantially equal to that of the top segment, means for pivotally securing one end of each lower leg to one end of each upper leg, means for pivotally securing the free end of each upper leg to one end of the top segment and the free end of each lower leg to one end of the bottom segment, the flat bottom surfaces of the legs being superposed in the closed position and the top segment and the superposed legs forming a continuous guideway for the collar,and means in the upper legs coacting with the collar for limiting the pivotal movement of the legsY in the opened position thereof.

2. A; stick for the slidable collar manipulating the covering of an umbrella to the openedand closed positions; the stick comprising a cylindrical top segment and a cylindrical bottom segment, said top segment being adapted for the slidable movement of the collar thereover, said top segment further having a longitudinal slot formed in one end, a tongue for the slot, meansl for securing one end of the tongue in the slot with the free end of the tongue protruding b e-l yond the slotted end of the segment and with the sides `of the tongue flush with the surface of .the segment; the stick further comprising a transversely expansible linkage system of two members intermediate said tongue and bottom Ysegment, each of said members comprising an upper leg and a lower leg, each leg having a flat base subtending a surface of semi-circularV form on a radius substantially equal to that of saidtop segment,V each upper leg further being of equal length and each lower leg being of equal length and of greater length than said upper legs, means for pivotally securing one end of each upper Vleg to one end of each lower leg, means for pivotally securing the free ends of said upper legs to opposite sides of said tongue, the end extremities of the upper legs adjacent said top segment being rounded and having on opposite sides thereof a notch coacting with the collar in the opened positionof said legs, means for pivotally securing the free ends of the lower legs to opposite sides of said bottom segment, the .flat base portions of said upper and lower legsl being lsuperposed in the closed'position thereof means inthe pivotally connected ends of said upper and lower legs for. limiting the movement thereof to opposite directions and handle meansior the bottom segment adapted to limit the transverse movement of said lower legs in the opened 3; A stick for the slidable collar manipulating thercovering of an umbrella to thel opened and closed-positionsaccording to claim 8 in which the handle means comprises a substantially cylindrical body, said body having a land formed at one end and a central longitudinal bore formed in the opposite end, the length and diameter of the bore being greater than the corresponding dimensions of the bottom segment slidably nserted therein, and a collar for the cylindrical body removably disposed over the open end of the bore, with the lower legs passing therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Berger Mar. 5, 1907 Bair Oct. 24, 1911 Bunnenberger et al. Oet. 29, 1912 Rinne Jan. 22, 1929 

